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Geology of the Chenier Plain of Cameron Parish, Southwestern Louisiana

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Geology of the Chenier Plain of Cameron Parish, Southwestern Louisiana Downloaded from fieldguides.gsapubs.org on May 18, 2015 The Geological Society of America Field Guide 14 2008 Geology of the Chenier Plain of Cameron Parish, southwestern Louisiana Donald E. Owen* Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Lamar University, POB 10031, Beaumont, Texas 77710, USA ABSTRACT The Chenier Plain of southwestern coastal Louisiana is a Holocene strand plain composed of wooded beach ridges (cheniers) and intervening mudfl at grassy wet- lands. The mudfl ats form as prograding tidal fl ats along the open, but low-energy Gulf of Mexico coast; cheniers form from winnowing of sand and shells from the mudfl ats by waves during transgression. Mudfl ats are deposited when a Mississippi River delta lobe is nearby to the east, and cheniers are formed when distributaries switch to a more distant location farther east. All of the cheniers have formed within approximately the past 3000 yr or less and are progressively younger toward the pre- sent coastline. Spits are attached to the cheniers at estuaries; they grow westward in response to the dominant longshore currents. Currently, mudfl ats are prograding in Vermillion Parish to the east, while cheniers form in eastern Cameron Parish along with some regressive beach ridge development in western Cameron Parish. This coast is microtidal with low wave energy. A high rate of subsidence as well as sea-level rise characterizes the Chenier Plain, which is subject to increased wave energy and mud transport every year during many cold-front passages and periodic storm surges associated with tropical cyclones of much lower frequency. Major storm surges can inundate the entire Chenier Plain, wreaking havoc on human settlements. Keywords: Chenier Plain, Louisiana, Holocene, Chenier, mudfl at, hurricane, Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River delta lobe, spits, estuaries, longshore current, Cameron Parish, Vermillion Parish, beach ridge, sea-level rise, microtidal, subsidence, cold front, tropical cyclone, storm surge. INTRODUCTION Defi nitions This paper reviews and summarizes the geology of the Che- A chenier plain is a strand plain consisting of long, narrow- nier Plain of southwestern Louisiana, especially its western por- wooded beach ridges (cheniers) and intervening mudfl ats with tion in Cameron Parish. Many geologists have contributed to the marsh or swamp vegetation (Otvos and Price, 1979). The word present-day understanding of the development of the upper Holo- chenier is derived from the Cajun French word, chene, meaning cene sediments and the landforms of the Chenier Plain, and much oak, the dominant tree growing on crests of high cheniers in south- of their work is summarized in this paper. western Louisiana, where cheniers were fi rst named by Russell and Howe (1935) (see Figures 1 and 2). A few other examples of *[email protected] Owen, D.E., 2008, Geology of the Chenier Plain of Cameron Parish, southwestern Louisiana, in Moore, G., ed.: Geological Society of America Field Guide 14, 2008 Joint Annual Meeting, Houston, Texas, 5–9 October 2008, p. 27–38, doi: 10.1130/2008.fl d014(02). For permission to copy, contact [email protected]. ©2008 The Geological Society of America. All rights reserved. 27 Downloaded from fieldguides.gsapubs.org on May 18, 2015 28 Owen cheniers are present on Earth including the extensive mud belt of Suriname. Recently, Taylor et al. (1996, p. 414) suggested that the term chenier complex be used instead of chenier plain for an area with at least two cheniers separated by muddy units. Early Work Formation of the Chenier Plain is related to the process of delta switching of the Mississippi River to the east which affects the down-drift area to the west (Kolb and van Lopik, 1958; Fra- zier, 1967). Howe et al. (1935) and Russell and Howe (1935) fi rst interpreted the Chenier Plain to have formed by alternating suspended sediment deposition and wave erosion of sandy mud, leaving the chenier ridges stranded as winnowed sand and shell deposits. This alternation was controlled by the Mississippi River shifting delta lobes from closer to (depositing mud) and far- ther from (allowing waves to build cheniers) the Chenier Plain, Figure 1. Geologic map of Louisiana locating Chenier Plain. From respectively. After the Chenier Plain sediments were cored, Fisk Penland and Suter (1989, Fig. 1). Figure 2. Idealized cross section across Chenier Plain with chronostratigraphic interpretations of facies belts. Cheniers become younger from left (inland) to right (seaward). Modifi ed from Penland and Suter (1989, Fig. 18 therein). Downloaded from fieldguides.gsapubs.org on May 18, 2015 Geology of the Chenier Plain 29 (1955) constructed maps of sediment thickness, and Price (1955) more durable, easily reworked shells such as Crassostrea (Taylor described their origin. Gould and McFarlan (1959) and Byrne et et al., 1996, p. 419). al. (1959) presented more detailed studies of the Chenier Plain architecture and age. PROCESSES According to radiocarbon dates of shells, the oldest cheniers (such as Little Chenier) are farthest landward (Fig. 2), and were Chenier Plain construction was described by Hoyt (1969, shown to be nearly 3000 years old (late Holocene); cheniers are p. 301–302) in the following steps: (1) prograding deposition progressively younger closer to the modern coastline (Brannon et of coastal mudfl ats with included sand and shells that is rapid al., 1957; Gould and McFarlan, 1959). Penland and Suter (1989), enough to preclude removal of fi nes; (2) reworking of mudfl at in one of the most comprehensive papers on the Chenier Plain, sediments during shoreline retreat, building a chenier ridge of presented data showing that sea level in southwestern Louisiana sand and shells while fi nes are reworked and transported offshore was 5–6 m lower than present ~3000 yr B.P., and that all the pre- and alongshore (see Fig. 3); and (3) extension of cheniers by the sent cheniers were built after a rapid rise to near present sea level, longshore current into areas not being actively eroded. which was attained at ~2500 yr B.P. All of these workers agreed Growth of spits, which extended the cheniers into bays, was that formation of the Chenier Plain was closely related to avail- described by Gould and McFarlan (1959, p. 268–269). These ability of suspended mud from the lobe- and distributary-shifting spits, which are slightly younger than the chenier to which they Mississippi River. Most early workers tied chenier formation to are attached, are most common near the mouths of the Sabine and switching between major delta complexes such as the Teche and Calcasieu Rivers (Fig. 4), and, to a lesser extent, the Mermen- Lafourche, but Penland and Suter (1989, p. 257) presented evi- tau River. Todd (1968) described a process of dynamic diversion dence of control of chenier formation by switching among indi- of longshore drifting sediment by interaction with tidal currents vidual delta lobes within the Lafourche delta complex during the exiting river and estuary mouths, causing deposition of spits, past 2500 yr or less. Some of the >2500 yr B.P. dates of Gould especially on the eastern updrift side. Ebb-tidal fl ow causes surf and McFarlan (1959) could be too old because of redeposition of suppression and decrease of longshore current velocity, caus- older shells in younger cheniers. However, most of the radiocar- ing deposition of spits on the updrift side. Easterly reversals of bon dates were obtained from fragile Mulinia shells rather than longshore-current direction by wave refraction around entrance Figure 3. Hoyt’s Chenier Plain process model. From Penland and Suter (1989, their Fig. 2). Downloaded from fieldguides.gsapubs.org on May 18, 2015 30 Owen ed Figure 4. Map of western Chenier Plain with beach ridges-cheniers and upland Prairie Formation (Pleistocene) outcrops (terraces). Note curved spits east of Sabine River mouth and spits east of Sabine River (Pleistocene) outcrops (terraces). Note curved Figure 4. Map of western Chenier Plain with beach ridges-cheniers and upland Prairie Formation Other ridges are cheniers and spits. Modifi are true beach ridges rather than cheniers. mouth. Ridges along coast near Johnsons Bayou (former Sabine distributary) Calcasieu River from Byrne et al. (1959). Downloaded from fieldguides.gsapubs.org on May 18, 2015 Geology of the Chenier Plain 31 shoals have built spits at the west sides of the Sabine and Calcasieu Severe storm surges associated with major hurricanes may over- river mouths against the dominant westerly regional longshore wash active cheniers, fl attening dunes, and producing washover drift (Taylor et al., 1996, p. 420). Westside spits are poorly devel- sand deposits landward into the adjacent marsh. As the shoreface oped on the Mermentau River, but the river has been defl ected and dune parts of cheniers are eroded by waves and longshore 20 km to the west by spit growth on the east side (Fig. 5). currents, they may retrograde onto washover sands. After initial construction, active cheniers may build up sev- Just after completion of this manuscript, an excellent new eral meters higher than sea level by moderate storm surges above paper on the Chenier Plain by McBride et al (2007) was brought to normal sea level and by dune-building between storm surges. my attention. It develops a six-stage geomorphic process-response Figure 5. Map of eastern Chenier Plain with cheniers, spits, and upland (Prairie terrace). Note curved spits south of Mermentau River east of Grand Chenier. Little Chenier is the oldest dated chenier on the Chenier Plain. Modifi ed from Byrne et al. (1959). Downloaded from fieldguides.gsapubs.org on May 18, 2015 32 Owen model to describe Chenier-Plain evolution which should be stud- nier cycle, may overlie these units. A more detailed description of ied by anyone interested in the Chenier Plain. the Chenier Plain sediments is given in Penland and Suter (1989; their Table 1).
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